NASCAR counting on improvement at Bristol

Drivers hope repaved surface will lead to more exciting racing

August 22, 2012

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon said fans want to see bumber-to-bumber racing and drivers upset with each other. (Geoff Burke/Getty photo)

Bristol Motor Speedway has taken a serious punch to the mouth when it comes to image. It was once one of NASCAR's treasured pit stops, a crazy bump-and-run venue that brought out the competitive fire in everyone.

That has been doused now to the point where one observer labeled it the "New Coke."

Ouch. The issue is repaving. The first one didn't fare so well. A repave in 2007 that led to three-wide racing wasn't a hit among fans, who preferred the single groove track that forced drivers to bump each other to gain track position. Fans protested by staying away — a streak of 55 consecutive sellouts ended three years ago.

"We took a place that was a blue-collar joint and spiffed it up a little too much," NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip said.

That leads us to another repave as the circuit returns to Tennessee this weekend after a less-than-exhilarating run in March. Fingers crossed.

"The fans want to see excitement, bumper-to-bumper action and the drivers getting upset with one another," driver Jeff Gordon said.

"Everything in the teams' playbook will go away for this race." said Dick Berggren, a NASCAR analyst for SPEED.

Bruton Smith, chairman & CEO of Speedway Motorsports, ordered significant changes — including grinding down the top lane — in April. Drivers tested the track in June and found it very difficult to race on the top groove, thereby bunching things up again.

"Come August, we'll find out if we were right or wrong," Smith said after the repave in April. "I think we're right."

Harvick gets crew chief:Kevin Harvick is going back to a familiar voice on pit road at Bristol. Gil Martin is back as crew chief, replacing Shane Wilson. The pairing of Wilson and Harvick has led to spotty results this season — Harvick is winless, although he is eighth in the standings.

"We're just trying to turn things around to make sure we get in the Chase, then be competitive once we get into the Chase," Martin told FOXSports.com. "It's not a question of us knowing each other's history; we've worked together before."

Martin had been the driver's crew chief since 2009 before he was replaced following the 2011 season.